Dog duct-taped and left to die

Published 12:02 am, Sunday, February 5, 2012

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Shane Morehouse (State Police photo)

Shane Morehouse (State Police photo)

Dog duct-taped and left to die

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ARGYLE — Shane Morehouse said he thought he was doing the right thing when he left a dying 10-year-old dog on the side of Coach Road Friday morning, its front and hind paws each bound by a strip of duct tape. Another piece covered the canine's mouth.

"I couldn't afford to take it to the vet," said Morehouse, a 52-year-old town man on disability from a work-related injury. "I wanted someone to help it. I left it where I knew someone would find the dog. If I didn't want anyone to find it I could have left it in the mountains somewhere."

Soon after Morehouse abandoned the dog, a shaggy-haired, gray-and-brown malmute-mix named "Chubby," it was found by Argyle Highway Department workers. Chubby was starving, sick and dehydrated, police said.

He had a nasty gash on his neck. Chubby had been suffering from an illness for some time and had to be put to sleep Saturday, police said.

Morehouse was tracked down by police after they received a slew of tips from the close-knit community. He was charged with cruelty to animals and animal abandonment, both misdemeanors under the Agriculture & Markets Law. Morehouse pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Town of Argyle Court and was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to reappear in court on Feb. 14.

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Holly Cheever, veterinarian and president of the New York State Humane Society, said Morehouse had several options and called his solution "shameless." The options include working out a payment plan or at least taking an animal to a shelter where it can be put down.

She added people who cannot afford to care for animals should not own them.